Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > Special Interest Group (SIG) Forums > Nano Reefs
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 03/07/2010, 09:00 PM   #1
n0rk
More is better-er!
 
n0rk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bloody kangaroos!
Posts: 251
n0rk's LED/ZEO Pico Experiment

Hola I've been reading RC for many years, finally felt it was a good time to post a build thread of one of my tanks. I've been keeping reefs for a few years now, with some measurable success in various facets, only just recently got into the world of keeping SPS though. Recently saw a thread over on another reefing site which shall not be named for "pico methodology", essentially working out what works and what does not... what better time to test a bunch of outlandish and ridiculous ideas than that I guess? Basically, this is far from science, if anything this is just stupidity manifest itself in a big ball of hopefulness and possibly too much wasted cash...
  • TANK: 21L (5.5g) "Goldfish Learner" AGA (14x12x10" display area)
  • SUMP: In-tank behind false wall, approx. 1/3 total tank volume
  • LIGHTING: DIY Cree XP-G/XP-E build (5x XP-G R4 Cool White, 4x XP-E Royal Blue)
  • FILTRATION: Octopus Nano NW-80, 2.2lb premium Fiji live rock, 1" Caribsea Seaflor Special SSB, ZEOvit method
  • CIRCULATION: AquaOne 102 500L/h (with handbuilt flow accelerator), AquaOne 200 300L/h HOB (soon to be ZEOlite reactor)
  • STOCKING: SPS out the nose, son. Most likely a mix of Acropora and Montipora, perhaps with a Seriatopora hystrix if I can snag a frag off of my coral supplier.

Yes, you read right. I'm attempting to implement the ZEOvit method into this tank long-term and investigate the viability of maintaining a stable and beautiful reef environment using it in such small confines. Bearing in mind that I've never actually kept a pico before, or used LEDs over a reef, or used the ZEOvit method proper... this could well turn into something very interesting indeed... tank's been running for about two months now, fallow up until the last week to let the parameter swings settle down some. Added in a pair of Acropora frags last week and they seem to be enjoying the environment... so far so good!


(pre-SPSing FTS)








It'll be interesting to see the results of this big ball of utter nonsense come to fruition as the months progress... stay tuned.


__________________
Benjamin

Current Tank Info: A coupla thousand watts of light, massive tidal flows, and a whole lotta filtration

Last edited by n0rk; 03/07/2010 at 09:21 PM.
n0rk is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03/07/2010, 10:11 PM   #2
JasonBJones
Registered Member
 
JasonBJones's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 508
Looks like you are off to a great start, I will be following along. Why did you choose zeo over vodka/MB7, or any other carbon/bacteria method


JasonBJones is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 03/07/2010, 10:25 PM   #3
n0rk
More is better-er!
 
n0rk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bloody kangaroos!
Posts: 251
A number of reasons really the two biggest ones being that I'll have all the gear needed for it around because I'll be using it on my main display and I figure 5g isn't gonna be a huge impact on my supplies, and also because I've never actually seen a ZEO pico tank.

Everything I'm doing in this tank is a test of sorts for my main display, I guess a cheaper way to experiment before I commit to anything... and a little bit of fun too.


Cheers!


__________________
Benjamin

Current Tank Info: A coupla thousand watts of light, massive tidal flows, and a whole lotta filtration
n0rk is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/01/2010, 08:51 AM   #4
n0rk
More is better-er!
 
n0rk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bloody kangaroos!
Posts: 251
n0rk's LEDpico Experiment

Well, I guess the times really have changed. This tank has been through two reincarnations since I last posted about it, totally changed direction about a million times, suffered a mini-crash, had rogue hermit crabs destroy about $500 worth of livestock (amongst them was a tricolour Frogspawn, some limited edition Zoanthids [which unlike in the US, really ARE rare as hensteeth], and a fluro orange Fungia... and a mated pair of Painted Clown Cleaner Shrimp [Periclimenes brevicarpalis]), blown two Buckpucks, survived 3 power outages, 2 bad batches of salt, a blown RO membrane, and a complete pull-down. The best part is, I've used a test kit on it once since I originally posted about it way back in March.

I couldn't employ the ZEOvit method on this tank no matter how hard I tried, simple fact was no skimmer would give me the appropriate skimming without filling the display with microbubbles. I tried as many methods as I knew to rectify it, but no dice. So, I opted to go the LPS-dominated route, a decision I feel has turned out for the best thus far. I'm getting good growth and the colours are popping massively under the LEDs, and for the last maybe 3 months the tank has been running entirely maintenanceless (60% WC maybe once every 2-3 weeks, whenever the mood takes me...). I only need to top off maybe 500mL every week or so, and trim the macro once every month-ish. Well maturing 7" DSB and booming pod population seems to take care of the rest for me. All in all, things are going pretty smoothly.

Current stocking is as follows:

  • Euphyllia glabrescens
  • Euphyllia parancora
  • Trachyphyllia geoffroyi
  • Cycloseris tenuis
  • Duncanopsammia axifuga
  • Acanthastrea spp.
  • Blastomussa spp.
  • Caulastrea sp.
  • Fungia sp.
  • Zoanthus sp.
  • Palythoa sp.
  • Pachyclavularia sp.
  • Discosoma sp.

Tank went through some hard times, but right now we're all set and good. Anyway, onwards to the pictorials of the last few months!

[img]http://i43.*******.com/72x1td.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i50.*******.com/w9yww5.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i50.*******.com/n3sdg.jpg[/img]











And of course, an FTS for the sake of things. This one's dated 1/8/10.




Maybe I should be more inclined to keep this thing updated now that I'm happy with the tank. Cheers


__________________
Benjamin

Current Tank Info: A coupla thousand watts of light, massive tidal flows, and a whole lotta filtration
n0rk is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/01/2010, 10:41 AM   #5
fstar25
Getting there
 
fstar25's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Friendswood, Tx
Posts: 884
looking forward to it!


__________________
The only thing I know for sure is nothing!
Carrie, why do you want someone in need to die? -iCam

Current Tank Info: 29G BioCube with LED lighting, media basket, fuge (chamber 2), MJ1200 return pump, K nano & K 1 power heads, 32# LR, ~2" SB
fstar25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/02/2010, 09:38 PM   #6
luckydud13
Registered Member
 
luckydud13's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Charlotte, NC
Posts: 113
Looks really good. I love your photo's


luckydud13 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/03/2010, 05:58 PM   #7
n0rk
More is better-er!
 
n0rk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bloody kangaroos!
Posts: 251
Thanks a lot guys I got a photo that better shows off the new patterned Zoanthids I got.

[img]http://i29.*******.com/1fz0id.jpg[/img]

Hopefully have about 5 more different kinds coming shortly...


__________________
Benjamin

Current Tank Info: A coupla thousand watts of light, massive tidal flows, and a whole lotta filtration
n0rk is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/15/2010, 09:09 PM   #8
n0rk
More is better-er!
 
n0rk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bloody kangaroos!
Posts: 251
This is not an official update, but an off-the-record one. Just felt like posting some more progress pics for my own reference.

[img]http://i36.*******.com/zjdmw0.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i38.*******.com/4uuheh.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i35.*******.com/2zzjlz8.jpg[/img]

Just needed something to take my mind off my health woes..


__________________
Benjamin

Current Tank Info: A coupla thousand watts of light, massive tidal flows, and a whole lotta filtration
n0rk is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 08/15/2010, 09:44 PM   #9
fstar25
Getting there
 
fstar25's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Friendswood, Tx
Posts: 884
Looking good and hope your health woes subside.

Good luck!

~Frank


__________________
The only thing I know for sure is nothing!
Carrie, why do you want someone in need to die? -iCam

Current Tank Info: 29G BioCube with LED lighting, media basket, fuge (chamber 2), MJ1200 return pump, K nano & K 1 power heads, 32# LR, ~2" SB
fstar25 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 10/15/2010, 11:14 PM   #10
n0rk
More is better-er!
 
n0rk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bloody kangaroos!
Posts: 251
n0rk's LEDpico Experiment

Figured it was time for an update... so, here's a half-assed one.













Something stung my little Fungia bad... took about 18 hours between showing signs of stress and total necrosis. Was not happy! Ah well, everything else is happy enough... especially that crazy bloody Pachyclavularia which has doubled in size in all directions, and the Zoos on the rock which have taken off like a rocket up 'em...


__________________
Benjamin

Current Tank Info: A coupla thousand watts of light, massive tidal flows, and a whole lotta filtration
n0rk is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 10/16/2010, 07:26 PM   #11
Zero Cool
Registered Member
 
Zero Cool's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Louisiana
Posts: 148
Looks great Bennybear. :ninja:


Zero Cool is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 10/16/2010, 08:44 PM   #12
JasonBJones
Registered Member
 
JasonBJones's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 508
Looking really good. The RBs are just crazy.


JasonBJones is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 10/16/2010, 08:46 PM   #13
n0rk
More is better-er!
 
n0rk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bloody kangaroos!
Posts: 251
o hay there, Ninja-person-type-person! quite a different disguise you're wearing today, lol.

Now, if only it weren't a grow-out tank so I could put some more of those fantastic Aussie corals I've got access to in here eh?


__________________
Benjamin

Current Tank Info: A coupla thousand watts of light, massive tidal flows, and a whole lotta filtration
n0rk is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 10/16/2010, 08:49 PM   #14
n0rk
More is better-er!
 
n0rk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bloody kangaroos!
Posts: 251
Quote:
Originally Posted by JasonBJones View Post
Looking really good. The RBs are just crazy.
Yeah man, the Royal Blues are insane. They're single-handedly responsible for all of my tanks taking on a distinctly blue tinge now... I'm trying to work out how to build a T5 tube out of 'em to put in my Powermodule for the big tank... I just wish I could capture the colours properly.


__________________
Benjamin

Current Tank Info: A coupla thousand watts of light, massive tidal flows, and a whole lotta filtration
n0rk is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
led, lps, pico

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:49 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.